Lifeboat launching apparatus



Sept. 15, 1936. J; L. HYLAND LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING APPARATUS Filed May 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 15, 1936. J. HYLAND 2,054,083

LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING APPARATUS Filed May 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f/INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I I Q 2,054,083

LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING APPARATUS John L. Hyland, New York, N. Y.

Application May 1-7,v 1930,. Serial No. 453,393

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in life boat launching apparatus.

The object of the invention is to simplify and improve the manner oflaunching life boats from the decks of ships, so that one man may launch the boat from the side of the ship regardless of the listing of the ship, and the boat may be launched from the high side of the listing ship in less time than is ordinarily required on the lower side.

. In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the deck of the ship in section and illustrating the apparatus for launching the life boat;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly in section and with a part of a cover for the life boat broken away;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through a portion of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View at right angles thereto through the complete apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing the manner of attaching the rope to the shaft there.- for, and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the supporting arms in elevation, with parts omitted for the sake of clearness.

The deck of the ship is designated generally by the numeral l and a wall or cabin is shown at 2. The life boat 3 is adapted to be supported in an upright position above and upon the deck I, so that it may be pushed over the side of the ship and lowered to the surface of the water. As. a means of accomplishing this, a frame 4 is mounted upon the deck I and has a curved edge 5 and notch 6 outwardly presented to normally receive and support the life boat 3 as shown in Figs; 1 and 4.

Mounted in a pivotally supported horizontal frame 7 is a shaft 8 having its periphery grooved as at 9' (see Figs. 2 and 5) to receive ropes II] which are coiled thereon in opposite directions. The inner ends. of the ropes are removably attached to the shaft 8 by means of pins II, as

-, shown in detail in. Fig. 5. The lower ends of the ropes l0 carry hooks l2, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, which are received by eyelets l3 secured to a shaft l4 extending longitudinally through the life boat 3.

The frame I is pivoted to the upper ends of arms l5, which are in turn pivoted at their lower ends as at I6 to the frame 4, which arms serve to support the life boat as it is swung from the full line position in Fig. 1 to the dotted line position. The frame I also has legs I1 extending downwardly therefrom to rest on the deckl in the dotted line position in. Fig. 1 and on spacers 18 within the frame 4, when in the full line position of Fig. 1 and as also shown in Fig. 3.

As a means of winding and unwinding the proper direction for winding or unwinding the 1 5 rope It to raise or lower the. life boat. By reason. of the use of the worth. 22. as'the driving means for the gearing, this acts as a brake preventing rotation of the gearing by the weight of the life-boat, and only when the hand-wheel 24 is turned, so that the hand-wheel 24 must be positively rotated to permit the unwinding of the ropes in order that the weight of the life boat will not of itself cause an unwinding of the ropes.

A casing 25 incloses the gearing and is connected at its upper end with the frame 1 and also with a cover 26 which. encloses the top of the life boat.

As an additional means. of winding up the ropes l0 and to give added power for that'purpose, a shaft 2! is fixed to one of the gears 2|: and extends through the frame I, being carried thereby, which shaft 21 has pins 28: slidably mounted in the opposite ends. thereof to. permit manually turning this shaft and winding up the ropes and to assist the gearing for this purpose.

A sleeve 29 is fixed to the frame 1 and is internally threaded to receive a screw 30 securedto a hand-wheel 31, which also has athraded screw 32 secured thereto and received within an internally threaded bushing 33,. suitably mount-= ed in a side of the wall 2 or other support but fixed against endwise movement.

The screws 29. and 32 are oppositely threaded as shown in Fig. 4 so asto provide a double movement upon the rotation of the hand-wheel 3| causing an outward feeding action of the sleeve 29. Guides 34 are fixed to the frame I and are provided with curved slots 35 therein to receive guide pins 36 fixed to the frame 4 for guiding the outward movement of the frame.

In the operation of the device, the life boat is normally in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and disposed on the deck of the ship in upright position protected by the cover 26. The

parts are entirely inclosed so as to be free from "injury by the elements.

When it is desired to lower the life boat, the hand-wheel 3| is rotated, which causes the entire frame 1 with its connected parts to be moved forward over the deck I to the dotted line position shown in Fig. l. The operator then turns the hand-wheel 24, which, through the gearing, unwinds the ropes l0, lowering the life boat to the surface of the Water. The ropes are preferably released from the life boat by releasing the hooks l2, but if for any reason they are not released, as that no one is in the life boat, the

continual unwinding of the ropes will cause them to be automatically released from the pins. H attached to the shaft 8 and over which pins the loopends of the ropes are received, 7

The worm 22 acts as a brake in lowering the life boat, preventing the weight of the life boat from automatically causing an unwinding of the ropesi, I

' In this'way, one man may quickly move the life boat off of the ship and launch it without any assistance and in-less time than is ordinarily required for the purpose. The construction is such as to permit the life boat to: be launched even when the ship is listing sideithereof. V

I claim:

1." In a lifeboat launching apparatus, the combination of a support, arms pivoted to the support, portions of the arms having depending legs carried thereby in positions to swing'with the arms from one side of thepivots to the other side of the pivots, means disposed on' opposite sides of the pivots'in position to receive the legs 7 for supporting the legs'in different positions of the arms, andmeans for supporting a lifeboat from the arms.

. 2. Ina lifeboat launching apparatus, the 'combination 'of an upright. support having'a shouldered portion for receiving and. supporting a lifeboat in upright position, arms pivoted to the low'er'portion of said support, the upper portions ofthe arms having depending legs carried thereby, means forsupporting the legs in different positions of the arms, and means for supporting a lifeboat from the arms. a

3. In a lifeboat launching apparatus, the combination of a. support, arms pivoted to the lower portion of the support, the upper portions of the arms having depending'supporting legs carried thereby in positions to swing with the arms from one side :of the pivots to the other side of the pivots, seats on opposite sides of the pivots for receiving and supporting the legs in a reclined position of the arms,'and means for. supporting 1 a lifeboat from the arms.

4; In lifeboat launching apparatus, the combinatios of supporting means, arms pivoted to the supporting means, an approximately hor izontal frame pivotallycarried by said. arms, means for holding said frame approximately horizontal duringswinging movement of the arms, means for suspending a lifeboat from said and from the high 7 V 6. In lifeboat launching apparatusfthe combination of an upright supporting frame, arms pivoted 'to the lower portion of the frame, a horizontal frame pivotally carried by said arms and having depending supporting legs, means for suspending a lifeboat from said last-mentioned .7

frame, and .means connected with said lastmen'tioned frame for causing an outwardswingr to a lowering position. V

'7. In lifeboat launching apparatus, the combination of a: support having a stationary lifeboat seat therein, supporting structure pivoted to the support at a point directly below the seat and extending around and over the seat in position to embrace a lifeboat supported on the ing movement of the armstoImo-ve the'lifeboat seat in upright position, and means carried by" said supporting structure in p0SitiOIIt0 be'diSr posed over the lifeboat when seated for supporting the lifeboat.

,- 8. In a lifeboat launching apparatus, the

combination of fixed supporting structure, m0v-' able frame structure, means supporting said,

movable frame structure on the fixed supporting structure for movement between a retracted position and a forward lifeboat launching posi- .tion, means for holding the movable frame structure substantially horizontal during said movement, a rigid lifeboat cover permanently secured to the movableframe structure in'position to overlie the lifeboat, and means carried by;

the movable frame structure for supporting the lifeboat beneath the cover and for lowering the lifeboat away from thecove'r without removal of the cover. Y

9. In lifeboat launching apparatus, the "com:

bination of fixed supporting'structure, movable frame structure, arms pivoted to the fixed supporting structure and pivotally supporting-the mo'vablegframe structure formovement between a retracted position and a. forward lifeboat launching position, guides attached to the mov-' ableframe structure and holdi g the same substantially horizontal dtlring said movement, a.

rigid lifeboat cover permanently secured to the movable frame structure in position ;to overlie the lifeboat, and. meanscarried by the-movable frame structure for supporting the lifeboat beneath the cover and for lowering the lifeboat. away from the cover Without removal of: the

cover. M

' JOHN L. HYLAND. 

